


Prerogative

by water_bby



Category: Naruto
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-01
Updated: 2013-07-01
Packaged: 2017-12-16 17:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/864814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/pseuds/water_bby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka hadn't expected anyone else to do his gardening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prerogative

**Author's Note:**

> written for the "Gardening" square in round 1 of [**cottoncandy_bingo**](http://cottoncandy-bingo.dreamwidth.org/)

Iruka had grown used to jounin appearing at random times during the school day, but the school secretary usually made sure said jounin didn't interrupt teachers in the classroom. (Every year, parents were told that they needed to make appointments to speak with teachers about their children's progress. As far as Iruka could tell, the only ones who did were those like the Harunos who weren't ninja themselves. Chuunin tended to show up at the end of the school day; jounin were, as usual, convinced the world would adjust itself around them.) This particular jounin, however, was not a parent and had memorized Iruka's schedule, so he'd simply walked in at the beginning of Iruka's lunch period.

"Really, Kakashi, can't it wait until I get home tonight?" A year ago, Kakashi showing up like this would have been a sure sign that he was about to leave the village, but Kakashi had a genin team now, and he wouldn't be taking missions until his students were ready.

"Iruka-sensei, I have a request to make of you."

"Wha--?" They usually dropped the honorifics when alone, and Kakashi had never asked a question that formally.

"My team is ready for their first D-rank mission. As the senior shinobi of their families, I ask you to hire them."

Iruka stared at him. Kakashi stared back.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"I'm not related to any of your students!" Iruka protested. When he'd been younger, he'd occasionally daydreamed about being asked to provide a genin team's first mission, but part of accepting that he would never rise above chuunin, of being content with teaching and working in the Mission Room, was acknowledging that he would never be the ranking shinobi for a group of genin. Falling in love with Kakashi had simply cemented that fact. Neither of them had any family left, and even if some distant cousin showed up, his or her jounin-sensei would ask Kakashi.

"Iruka, Naruto sees you as family, and you're the only option for this team."

Iruka opened his mouth to protest again when it hit him--Sasuke's surviving family was missing, Sakura's family weren't eligible, and Kakashi, as their jounin-sensei, was also ineligible. Iruka really was the only person who could fulfill the role.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I will deliver a request to the Mission Room in two days." Sometimes, Iruka thought, ritual wordings really did make life easier.

Two days later, Iruka watched the team from the back steps of his house.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Iruka very deliberately kept his lips from twitching. Naruto was whining already, and they hadn't even started working.

"You said we had a mission, but we're just in Iruka-sensei's garden plot! What kind of mission could this possibly be? Weeding?"

Iruka shut his eyes momentarily. He really wanted to laugh out loud, between Naruto's whining, Sasuke's look of utter boredom, Sakura's attempt to look as if she weren't as annoyed as Naruto--she was getting better at that, Iruka noted--and Kakashi's attempt to look as if he weren't annoyed at Naruto (Iruka was one of perhaps a handful of people who would be able to tell). "No, Naruto-kun, you will not be weeding," he called, pausing a moment to watch the genin all relax slightly, while Kakashi went from suppressed annoyance to not-very-suppressed amusement. "You will be turning under the remnants of the summer crops and planting the seeds for the winter crop."

Iruka did not acknowledge the groans from the genin. "I'll be back later to see how you are doing."

He walked away, finally allowing himself to grin. It would be at least late afternoon before they finished, and on his way to the Academy this morning, he needed to confirm with Teuchi that he would be bringing the team to Ichirako for dinner to celebrate the completion of their first mission.


End file.
